Twelve Days of Death Eater Xmas
by Entwinedlove
Summary: Complete. / A collection of drabbles and short one-shots for The Death Eater Express facebook group's 12 days of Christmas 2017.
1. Ugly Jumper

Day 1 Prompt:

an ugly Christmas jumper / "Is that a present for me?" / "If you think I'm spending Christmas drinking eggnog and shagging you, forget it!"

Warning: domestic violence

word count: 1,024

Between his sister-in-law lamenting that Yuletide never had enough sacrifices and his sister nagging her new husband, Bast was starting to hate the holidays. He yawned and his jaw made a loud cracking sound that no one seemed to notice. The Lestranges had an odd little tradition that instead of gift-giving on the morning of Christmas, gifts were exchanged after Christmas dinner before the late evening pudding.

It was something he was accustomed to, of course, but he was seriously petitioning his parents for a change in policy. If he had to hear Adelaide nag Piers one last time...

"What is this? Is this a present for me?" she said, her voice loud and shrill from the settee where she and her new husband were ensconced giving one another their personal gifts. She held up an unflattering pea-soup green jumper with reindeer antlers stitched into the front. Two pompoms decorated the antlers in strategic places on the chest of the garment.

Bast couldn't help himself and burst into laughter with one look at the thing.

"Bastian," his mother scolded in a quiet voice, "Don't be so rude! I'm sure Piers put a lot of thought and heart into his gift for your sister." Her words said one thing while the look of utter disgust making her upper lip curl couldn't be hidden.

"C'mon, Mother," he said, a bit louder than he should have—he was almost positive someone had spiked the eggnog with a fuck-tonne more booze than normal—"You can't deny that's an ugly Christmas jumper!" Father was hiding a grin behind his glass of eggnog but Bast could tell from the crinkling around his eyes that he found the jumper humorously ghastly as well. Roddy and Bella both were sniggering from their settee on the other side of the room.

Piers looked suitably distressed and Addy stood and stormed off. After a moment, when no one else seemed to move, Piers stood to follow. His ears and neck had turned ruddy in his embarrassment.

Bast glanced at the other two couples in the room. Bella and Roddy had gone back to whispering with one another and Father and Mother were sharing one of those looks he'd seen them share before, that, "One of us should really go and speak with her..." look. Bast stood and his parents looked relieved. Did they think he was going to sort out the newlyweds?

He headed in the direction they went and instead of approaching his sister to calm her down or to pat his brother-in-law on the back and sooth his embarrassment, Bast ducked behind one of the suits of armour and peeked behind it to watch them.

"I can't believe you gave me something that—that horrid!" Addy said, she spoke with wild gestures of her hands when she was upset and she almost smacked Piers in the face before she brought them both to wring together at her mouth. "What possessed you to embarrass me in front of my family like that? If you think I'm spending the rest of Christmas drinking eggnog and shagging you, forget it! You—you—" She was so spitting mad she couldn't get the words out and instead growled ineffectually in her husband's direction.

Piers's mouth kept opening and closing like he was doing an impression of a fish. It took him a few moments before he found his words. "I've never—I didn't know you gave personal gifts to one another in front of family, I would have kept it aside. I meant it as a joke, something you could wear for me once and then have the elves donate it. How was I supposed to know that personal gifts weren't exactly given in private?" His voice had gained strength until he was speaking harshly to her. "If your family wasn't such odd, perverse, inbred—"

"You're an utter bastard!" she said, raising her hand to strike him across the cheek. He caught her wrist and twisted it, causing her to bend forward and move closer to him to prevent pain.

"I only married you for the family money, you know that right?"

She snarled the next words from between grit teeth, "You can just keep waiting for it, as well. You'll not get a knut if I can help it."

"Bitch." His hand raised to strike her and Bast stepped from behind the suit of armour, immobilising Piers Selwyn before he touched Adelaide.

"You should know," he said, casually strolling towards the pair, "that I don't take kindly to someone threatening my sister." Addy was stepping back and patting her cheeks to try and ease the flushed look that had come over her. Piers was frozen with his arm raised mid-air but his eyes were wide as he looked at Bast who was pointing his wand at Piers's face. "She can always remarry if you happen to _accidentally_ perish. I'm sure she'd even mourn your passing for an appropriate amount of time. She has always struck a pleasing figure when wearing black." Bast stepped even closer and pressed the tip of his wand into Piers's throat, pressing tightly against the fleshy, tender skin there. When he spoke again, it wasn't the casual, conversational tone he'd had just then, no, this time his words were quiet and calm and the look in his eyes promised violent and terrible things that only an _inbred_ madman could think to devise. "Don't you ever touch my sister with a cruel hand again or I will cut it off."

Piers, a Death Eater in his own right, could only stare with wide eyes from his immobilised position.

"Come sister, dear, I have a present or two for you," Bast said to Addy, still staring death into Piers' face. After a moment when she didn't respond, he glanced up at her, resuming his casual, relaxed posture. "Addy?"

"Of course, Bast. I have a gift for you too," she said. She took his arm and he escorted her back into the parlour with the family. Before he was through the door he cancelled the spell immobilising Piers. Hopefully, the fucker would get the hint and retire for the night.


	2. Sugar Cookies

Day 2 Prompt:

ribbons and bows / "Is that a Christmas cookie?" / "Oh, I've got a fucking gift for you!"

word count: 419

Alecto was in the kitchen. It wasn't her _modus operandi_ , usually, the overworked house elf did everything in the kitchen but as the elf got older, some things like extra holiday baking had fallen by the wayside. So Alecto was picking up the slack. She had attempted to bake cookies.

Keyword: attempted. The ridiculous lumps of sugar and flour that hadn't come out of the oven black were hard and flat. She frowned at them and debated throwing them out when Amycus came up behind her. He spoke over her shoulder the same time he reached for one of the unburnt ones, "Is that a Christmas cookie?"

She thought about swatting his hand away but thought better of it. If he wanted to be her test subject she wouldn't stop him. He bit the creation and frowned as it crumbled like sand in his mouth. "Ugh. What did you do to them?"

She shrugged. She couldn't for the life of her figure out where she'd gone wrong with this batch but she wouldn't admit it straight to him.

He chewed and tilted his head back and forth as if he were debating the merits of the thing. "It's not bad, I guess. Remember that time at Hogwarts the year we participated in the Slytherin Secret Santa? And you got a tin of Muggle-bought crap from that half-blood? Where you later insisted that the ribbons and bows that were on the tin were the gift instead? These remind me of those."

"I never..." she started to argue but he interrupted her.

"You know you did."

The oven dinged and Alecto moved away from him using magic to levitate the latest batch of cookies onto the cooker top. These looked much more promising. "Are these a gift for me?" He asked coming up behind her again to reach for one of them.

She debated letting him burn his fingers but decided against it. She smacked his hand away from the just-out-of-the-oven treats. "Oh, I've got a fucking gift for you. Burnt fingers. Now shoo, if these turned out then we'll have some after dinner."

He stuck his bottom lip out and pouted. "But they're better warm."

"That's what reheating charms are for. Now out of my kitchen!" She aimed her wand at him in playful jest but she'd hexed him enough that he took her seriously. He reached out and snatched a cookie from the pan and yelped and hollered from the burnt fingers as he darted out of the room.


	3. A Side of Yule Piece

Day 3 Prompt:

a Yule log / "What do you mean a person isn't an acceptable Christmas gift?" / "I swear, if I find you sitting under the tree with a bow around your cock, I'm never speaking to you again."

word count: 504

Antonin was sitting in front of the fireplace in the small home the group of them had commandeered to spend the evening. It was devastatingly cold out, with snow deep enough to sink him up to his knees and he was thankful for Warming Charms, tall boots, and thick woollen socks. The house was stocked well with a large woodpile and dried herbs dangling from twine near the ceiling. He would be able to be still and quiet and reflective tonight.

It was Christmas Eve and he was missing his family. His daughter had just turned two when the Dark Lord had sent him and the others on this mission. He hadn't even been able to celebrate her birthday properly.

He'd taken the job of creating a warm fire so he could pick a log and tie some of the nice smelling herbs to it to make a Yule log. Once the fire was built up and burning well, he would add the log and hope the others would leave him alone. Bellatrix and Rodolphus had gone upstairs under the guise of making sure there were no Muggles hiding and that the beds were usable. They had been gone a while and Antonin assumed they were taking advantage of a bed and privacy. He had left Augustus in the kitchen to work out what they would be eating tonight.

Antonin watched the flames and decided it was time to add the Yule log. He picked it up and put it on the fire by hand. The herbs caught quick and their fragrance filled up the room. He sat back down and breathed deeply, relaxing. He smiled as he pictured his little Antonina's face as she would open presents in the morning. Her mother had thought to honour him by name their child after him and at first, he had thought it silly, but now he felt a bit of pride in the fact that his wonderful spirited daughter shared his name.

There was stomping down the stairs that dashed the imagined scene of Antonina out of Antonin's head and Bellatrix appeared, followed by both Augustus and Rodolphus. "What do you mean a person isn't an acceptable Christmas gift?" Rod asked.

"I swear, if I find you sitting under the tree with a bow around your cock, I'm never speaking to you again!"

Augustus chuckled as he stood behind Bella. He must have thought he was hidden by the stairwell because he reached down and smacked Bella on the arse. She canted her eyes at him but otherwise didn't say anything. Antonin assumed Rod didn't see.

"That's not what I meant, witch," Rod growled at his wife. He leaned down and kissed her thoroughly, pulling her body into his with bruising force. She melted against him and moaned. Antonin frowned as he watched them. Had they not fucked enough upstairs that they had to bring it down here? He had no interest in being a voyeur, he only wanted a little peace this Christmas Eve.


	4. Draco the (Christmas) Menace

Day 4 Prompt:

a snow storm / "What do you mean, you haven't got a bloody tree, yet?" / "You can't send a gift that heavy with just one owl!"

word count: 645

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He could do this. He really could. He was a grown adult; he could handle a five-year-old.

In a snowstorm.

Without his parents.

Hyped up on too much sugar.

 _Oh god, he was going to kill him._

"Uncle Sev," Draco started, his pale blond hair a stark contrast to the dark interior of the two-up-two-down that Severus reluctantly called home during the school holidays, "What you doing?"

 _Trying not to resort to a Stunning Spell._ "I'm thinking about what we should do today. It's Christmas tomorrow, you know."

"We should have the elves bake cookies!" the little boy shouted.

 _No more sugar._ "How about you help me wrap and send my gifts?" he asked. He had no gifts to send and no wrapping paper but it had sounded like a fantastic idea if judging by the look of elation on Draco's face.

"Okay!"

Severus picked up a small stack of books at random from his shelves, all tame and almost child-friendly. He Summoned parchment from the writing cabinet and took the items into the kitchen. He even pulled out a package of sellotape from one of the junk drawers he had not got around to cleaning yet.

"You can't wrap gifts in parchment!" Draco complained. With a tap of his wand, Severus Transfigured the parchment into shiny, green wrapping paper and he glanced down his nose as Draco frowned. "It's..." he started to ask, "Is it for adults? 'Cuz presents for kids need snowmans on the paper."

"Yes, it's for adults," Severus answered. "Do you know how to wrap gifts?" Draco nodded and Severus got him to explain the process, one slow step at a time. By the time the stack of books was wrapped they had used twice as much parchment as Severus had originally planned for. He wrote a small note and attached it to the large bundle.

 _I'm doing this for your son. I expect these back. They are not a gift! - S. Snape_

Severus stood and took the package to the window and owl perch next to it. "Wait, wait!" Draco shouted, jumping down from his chair and almost tipping it over in his enthusiasm, "You can't send a gift that heavy with just one little owl! You should ask to borrow Hermes, he's an Eagle Owl. He's big!"

Severus made a point to look out the window. The snow was coming down thickly, not billowing but sinking. Heavy, wet snow that would sooner coat everything in a layer of ice than create a wonderland to play in. Draco would be disappointed he wouldn't be able to make an army of snowmen. "We won't be sending any gifts in this weather anyway. Shakespeare would freeze his feathers off," he told the boy.

"Then we'll just have to put them under the Christmas tree until the weather's nicer," Draco said matter-of-factly.

"I don't have a tree," Severus said and then closed his eyes, anticipating a tantrum.

The outraged shout reminded him of Narcissa, almost. "What do you mean, you don't have a bloody tree?"

"Language, Draco," he scolded.

"But how could you not have a tree?" Draco's eyes had gone wide and shiny and he looked like he would start bawling any second.

Severus might have panicked. Just a little.

"We'll get a tree. I promise," he said, though his words didn't seem to placate the almost-crying child. "When the weather eases up, we'll go get one together, all right? I was waiting for you to help pick one out for me. You've got the best eye for it."

Draco's glassy eyes cleared up instantly and the pout was gone from his face; he was smiling brightly. "Thank you, Uncle Sev."

 _You just got played, Severus_. Said a voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Lucius.

 _Shut up._


	5. Putting the Kink in Christmas

Day 5 Prompt:

Christmas crackers / "I can think of a better way to spend the holidays." / "You can't just stick 'Christmas' in front of the activity and pretend you're not depraved. A Christmas spanking is still kinky."

word count: 276

Hermione put the last Christmas cracker in the bowl on the table she'd decorated for Christmas dinner. The table runner shimmered in the candlelight and the ceramic dishes sparkled in the refracted prism light from the crystal glasses. Everything looked perfect.

Her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, was leaning against the door frame a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest, and an expected look on his face.

She sighed, unable to not retort his baited question. "You can't just stick 'Christmas' in front of an activity and pretend you're not depraved. A Christmas spanking is still kinky." She glanced back over her shoulder at him and pursed her lips.

The smug bastard was smiling.

"I can't help it that I think laying you out over my knee is a better way to spend the holidays than a dinner party with the _Weasleys_."

"They are my friends, you know. You could be nicer to them."

"I don't want to be nice. I want to be naughty," he said. He approached her quickly, hands going to her waist and mouth dipping to nip at her shoulder and neck. "I like it when you wear your hair up like this. I've got better access." She closed her eyes and moaned a little, melting into the heat of his body and the feel of his lips on her skin.

"If you ruin my table setting..." she trailed off as his hands started to pull up the fabric of her skirt.

The smug chuckle he gave later when she squealed as he plopped her reddened arse onto the table next to the crystal had her smacking him on the shoulder.


	6. Wally and the Notty Tinsel

Day 6 Prompt:

mistletoe / "Is there a reason you look like you've been attacked by rabid tinsel?" / "Id really rather just drink hot chocolate and pretend you don't even exist."

word count: 585

Walburga Black had an idea. She wanted to impress Tom Riddle and she figured if she spent time hand decorating the Christmas tree in the Slytherin common room, he would have to pass by eventually. She would wear her most appealing robes—the set that she'd taken in the sides so they clung to her curves a little more than most—and bend over in front of him. Surely that would get him to notice her pleasing silhouette and ample bosom. She would also set up some mistletoe near his usual chair just so she could rescue him with a kiss. It was the perfect plan.

She did not anticipate Frederick Nott jinxing the tinsel.

She spent an inordinate amount of time with each ornament. Pausing to check the door before bending to get a glittering, glass ball and checking again before placing it on the tree. Nott had seen her and perched himself on the arm of Tom's usual chair, almost under the mistletoe. If he moved just a bit he'd be stuck. Walburga refused to kiss that creep. He watched her as she put up most of the ornaments and she started on the tinsel.

Unfortunately, that's when she found out about the previously mentioned jinx.

It attacked her. It nipped at her fingertips, gnawed on her wrists, ruffled her hair. She was about done with the jinxed tinsel—and ready to hex Nott's unmentionables if he wouldn't stop laughing—when Tom and Lucretia came into the common room together.

They weren't _together_ together, of course—Walburga was sure that Lucretia was rather oblivious to that sort of thing—but they did walk through the door at about the same time.

Lucretia noticed her first and raised her eyebrows as she passed, heading towards the drinks cart where the house elves stocked always-hot hot chocolate. "Is there a reason you look like you've been attacked by rabid tinsel?" she asked.

Walburga frowned and tried to straighten a lock of hair that had fallen into her face.

"Are you coming to the meeting tonight, Fred?" Tom asked as he stood in front of his usual chair.

"Yeah, sure," Nott said. He leaned forward to stand and that's when the mistletoe caught him and he lost the ability to move. "Wha—? Hmm. You lose something over here, Wally?" he asked, smirking in her direction.

Walburga chose to ignore him and turned, bending at the waist to pick up an ornament she _accidentally_ dropped. She hoped Tom was looking.

Nott continued, calling out to the only other girl in the room at the moment: Lucretia. "Lu, come over here and kiss me."

"I'd really rather just drink my hot chocolate and pretend you don't even exist," she said primly, cradling her mug in her hands and crossing her legs where she sat on a settee across the room.

He whined, "Come on, Lu."

She didn't answer him, just looked in the other direction.

"Maybe Walburga would offer you a kiss to free you," Tom murmured, he turned and headed back towards the door. "I'll see you at Slughorn's office in ten," he called back before he slipped out.

Walburga and Nott both watched him leave. Her shoulders sagged and she had a feeling she pouted as she realised he hadn't even looked her way. She turned and headed to her dorm to fix her hair. If she stomped on the way, no one called her out on it.

Nott did call after her, though, "Hey, Wally! Don't leave me here!"


	7. Christmas Nabbing

Day 7 Prompt:

a snowball fight / "Oh, look! Mistletoe!" / "I'm not saying Mudbloods are sexy... but I'd love to unwrap that one this Christmas."

word count: 558

Thorfinn Rowle and Rodolphus Lestrange were hiding at the edge of the trees surrounding Hogsmeade watching the students. They'd been tasked with kidnapping a student. It was meant to be an example to Dumbledore that he couldn't protect them. They hadn't had any luck, yet. None of the students had ventured their direction in some time and Thorfinn was getting agitated.

"Why won't they come over here?" he asked, not really expecting Rodolphus to answer. "Maybe if we could lure them this way, but with what... hmm..." he paced as he spoke, churning up the snow at their feet.

Rodolphus glanced down at their feet as Thorfinn's pacing tossed wet snow onto his boots. "Engage them in a snowball fight."

"What?" Thorfinn asked. "But they'd recognise Death Eaters on sight, surely. Adults at least."

Rodolphus rolled his eyes as the impatient hulking man. "Hide yourself, charm a pile of snowballs, and toss them with magic until you get one close enough."

Thorfinn brushed his long hair out of his eyes and nodded. He went deeper into the woods, using his wand to gather snow into nice tossable clumps. When he returned with a small pile of snowballs and an expression seeking approval Rodolphus nodded.

It was just luck that at that moment, a single student, a girl by the colour of her winter coat, started walking down the lane.

"Perfect," Thorfinn muttered. He used his wand to toss a snowball at her, hitting her in the back. She turned and narrowed her eyes, not immediately spotting them. Rodolphus grabbed one up and sent it soaring a little to the left of her, so she could see where they were coming from. She ducked and grabbed some snow, making her own snowball and patting it into a ball as she headed their way. They backed up, creeping further into the woods and Thorfinn sent another after her. She sent hers back in their direction, coming within a foot of their location.

This continued until the girl was flushed and frustrated. She sent one more snowball and then called, "Well come out already! It's cold and I'm ready to go in."

Rodolphus recognised the chit when she turned around again, peering into the dark section of wood where he was standing. It was Thorfinn that whispered her name. "Hermione Granger. Hmm, didn't expect we'd catch her. The Dark Lord will be pleased."

"We haven't caught her yet," Rodolphus warned. He sent the last snowball at her, hitting her in the back of the neck. It caused her to stumble forward and bend over to catch her balance, showing off the curve of her bum.

"I'm not saying Mudbloods are sexy... but I'd love to unwrap that one this Christmas," Thorfinn muttered. He moved quickly, getting directly in front of her before she could push her crazy mess of curls out of her face. "Oh, look! Mistletoe!" he said to her.

She was confused and looked up, both for mistletoe and at him, startled by his appearance.

Thorfinn bent down and laid a wet kiss on her, startling her even more. Rodolphus didn't care if the lout had found mistletoe, he just stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist. He felt Thorfinn grip his shoulder and the three of them Disapparated from the snowy wood with a quiet pop.


	8. It's Nott Christmas

Day 8 Prompt:

a Christmas wreath / "You could help me decorate... if you like?" / "Bet you didn't think Christmas at Hogwarts would end like this, eh?"

word count: 654

Fredericka Nott coughed as she opened the Christmas tree ornaments. The elves had brought them down from the attic but, as usual, had been given express instruction to leave it for Eri to do. Decorating the Christmas tree was something she truly loved doing. Halfway through the process, Eri's twin brother, Frederick Nott casually strolled into the room with a glass of eggnog in his hand.

She had not been on speaking terms with him since the holiday started a week and a half ago. It was the longest she'd gone without speaking to him. Ever.

Normally, they did the decorating together. He evidently noticed that she had started without him. His usual smug expression was replaced with disappointment and maybe the slightest bit of remorse.

Finally, unable to take that look from him for extended periods of time, Eri offered an olive branch. "You could help me decorate... if you like?" she watched him, debating if his remorse was truthful or an act before he set his eggnog aside and came to stand with her in front of the tree.

He was quiet for several moments as he picked up an ornament or two and placed them with care in empty spots he could see closer to the top of the tree. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke. "Bet you didn't think Christmas at Hogwarts would end like this, eh?" His eyebrows had raised and there was a hint of mischief in his expression.

"I'm still angry with you, Fred," Eri said, turning her nose up and deciding that she was better off ignoring him.

"Come on, Eri..." he whinged, sounding less like his of-age self and more like a spoilt eleven-year-old. "Why did you have to make a big stink about it?"

She coughed to hide the giggle that wanted to emerge. Why'd he have to use that turn of phrase? She pursed her lips and narrowed her brows and levelled him with her best twin-sister glare. "You took Conor Mulciber's side of things. You acted like a Neanderthalic brute, not like my brother at all!"

"All you had to do was let him, you know. He would have got his fill and you'd still have a boyfriend."

"You think I'm mad because he broke up with me?" She asked, shock and outrage making her voice rise in pitch. She placed the last ornament in her hands on the tree without care, only so she wouldn't attempt to stab him with the hook or crush the glass ball in his face. "I'll have you know, I don't want a boyfriend who wants to pressure me into having anal sex, thank you very much! If he wants that, he can go bugger you! He has no need of me for that!"

Fred's jaw slackened and his eyebrows raised. He froze in his defence of his friend. "Oh," he finally said, blinking and turning away to get his bearings again. "Well, why didn't you say that?"

"And let the entire Slytherin common room think I'm a trollop? I don't think so," she said, turning away to hide her fluster. "Next time, why don't you just trust your sister and take her side of things instead of butting in where you don't belong and trying to smooth things over. I'm glad he's not my boyfriend, though I wish he hadn't been so public with his break up. He can go rot for all I care."

He started chuckling.

She turned back to look at him, scowl in place. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," he said, raising his hands up as if to defend himself. There was a moment's pause before he asked, "So he did score with you, right? Or was that a lie? I've got a bet going, you see."

"Oooo!" she shouted in frustrated anger, she smacked him with both hands against his chest and stormed out of the room, irritated beyond belief. "Boys!"


	9. Sugar Snow

Day 9 Prompt:

a toppled over Christmas tree / "You've got powdered sugar on your nose." / "If you eat all of those Christmas sweets, you'll make yourself sick."

word count: 790

Walburga Black had been out of the house Christmas shopping. She'd left her boys, both under ten, in the charge of her husband and her house elves. She expected them to be well-behaved and properly fed when she returned that evening.

That wasn't the case.

When she stepped into the front hall with her hands full of purchases, she noticed immediately that a number of the portraits were tilted and there were little white palm prints on them. She set her bags down and called for Criquet to put them away in her room so she could wrap them. As Walburga walked upstairs into the family parlour where she expected her family, she found a toppled over Christmas tree, broken ornaments, and even more little white handprints everywhere. The family cat, a dark and aged furball named Hephaestus was licking water from the half-empty bowl filled with water and tree sap from the fresh tree. She sent a light Stinging Hex at him for his bad behaviour and he squawked with an indignant squealing meow before he bolted out of the room, sliding the carpet half a foot across the floor. Walburga huffed in annoyance. She called for Criquet again, this time to fix the tree and the oriental carpet and to remind her to refresh Hephaestus's water bowl.

Walburga went downstairs, seeking her family, sure that if they weren't in the family parlour then surely, Orion would have them in the library working on their lessons. She found her husband but not her children. "Where are the boys?" she asked.

She had to ask twice before he glanced up at her from the tiny clock mechanism he was working over. "Huh?" he asked. When she asked a third time he waved in her direction and suggested she look in the kitchen.

She could feel her temper rising. Had he even noticed that she had been gone? Had he even unburied his nose from his obsessive tinkering to pay attention to his children? She pursed her lips and turned on her toes, intent to ignore him as he so easily ignored them. She spotted more white handprints and a few shoe prints as she heads down to the basement kitchen and called for Criquet again to clean up whatever it was.

Shrieks of boys' laughter and giggles greeted her as she made the descent into the basement. She rarely ventured into the servants' quarters of the house, finding them too grungy. She wasn't quite prepared for what awaited her at the butcherblock table. Both boys were coated in a fine layer of white powder over their faces, their pristine clothes, and their hands. The table was ladened with sweets. Gumdrops, cookies, fairy cakes, candy canes, chocolate pudding, and in the centre of the table was the largest gingerbread house she'd ever seen. It was crooked and the joints made with icing were slowly sliding apart. It was slipshod in its construction.

At the cooker, working on something else—Walburga hoped it was dinner—was Kreacher. His tea towel was dingy and stained and his fingers were coloured from creating the gumdrops and icing, but he was smiling.

She pursed her lips and cleared her throat. Regulus and Sirius both stopped giggling to look up at her. "Mummy!" Regulus called, jumping up and rushing at her. She held out her hand to stop him from touching her. He stopped short but reached up, offering her the partially eaten sweet in his hand.

"If you eat all of those Christmas sweets, you'll make yourself sick," she said in her most disapproving tone.

"But Mummy!" Regulus said again. He grinned and giggled and returned to Sirius who was sitting on both feet and leaning dangerously over the table to add a gumdrop to the gingerbread house.

She took a step further, to scold them and the elf for helping create this mess when the entire gingerbread house collapsed. One of them had left the open container of powdered sugar next to it, perhaps to pretend it was snow and sprinkle on the roof. Instead, it exploded into the air with the collapse of the house directly in Walburga's direction, coating her from her hair down to her toes in white sugary dust.

She suppressed a screech of frustration for only a moment when she heard a masculine chuckle from behind her. She turned sharply and glared at Orion, surely if he'd been supervising them as he should this entire mess would have been avoided.

"Orion!" she started, intent on scolding him before she turned her attention to the elf and the boys.

He interrupted her, however, with a grin and a gesture towards her face. "You've got powdered sugar on your nose, did you know?"


	10. Nott in a Snowdrift

Day 10 Prompt:

Christmas stockings and holly / "If you throw that snowball, it means war!" / "Can't I just have you for Christmas and we'll call it square?"

word count: 723

The Slytherin common room was decked out with Christmas stockings and holly and Frederick Nott was lounging on a chaise staring at the dumb things. He should have gone home for the hols this year but didn't want to deal with his nosy mother. His twin, Eri, was bad enough.

What Fred wanted to do was put to use the knowledge he'd learned over the term, specifically the sex magic. He wanted to try out all sorts of things but he would start basic. He just needed a willing partner.

He thought about the girls in his circle of friends. Walburga and Lucretia Black were both beautiful but one only had eyes for Tom Riddle and the other seemed to think all boys were beneath her notice. There was Priscilla Parkinson... but her brother Presley was head boy and kept a close watch over his younger sister. Besides his sister, the only other girl in their circle and in their year was Calanthe Gray. She wasn't unattractive. He couldn't deny that she did it for him, but then again sometimes his sister could too, so that might not be the best measure.

Unfortunately, there was no one left to ask and he was randy.

Thankfully, Calanthe had stayed for the holiday. He'd seen her heading to her dorm room a few minutes ago, mumbling to herself about heading down to Hogsmeade for the extra shopping day they were allowed. He stood and went up to his dorm, donning his warmest cloak, gloves, and hat, and headed back out. He headed towards the Entrance Hall to wait for her.

She walked by him a few minutes later, her hands tucked into her pockets and a scarf covering most of her face. He turned and followed her out. He kept his distance, debating how he should approach her. They were Slytherins and he doubted she would appreciate his cunning if he asked her directly. He would need to engage her attention first.

He followed her through the bookshop, into the quills and parchment store, and even into Honeydukes where he also made a small purchase. It was on the way back that he paused long enough to gather a small pile of snowballs, using his wand to levitate them near his elbow. He threw one hard at the back of her head. It knocked her hat sideways and she turned around, rubbing the back of her head and fixing her hat while she tried to see who had attacked her.

When she spotted him she called out to him, "If you throw that snowball, it means war!"

He grinned and tossed another in her direction. He missed on purpose but it gave her a chance to gather her own. She had horrible aim and it wasn't until he had pelted her with five or six and she'd hit him with maybe two, that she was close enough to grab.

He'd manoeuvred them towards the side of the path so when he grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up, he turned and pushed her against a wide tree trunk. She startled at his proximity and he gave her a dirty grin as he let his hands press against her. He couldn't really feel her tits through her coat but he figured he'd be able to when they went back inside.

"Nott, let me go!"

"Come on, Cala, don't be that way," he wheedled.

"I won't give you the Christmas present I bought for you if you don't let me go," she countered. Her face was rosy and flushed from the snowball fight. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, stealing her first kiss.

"Can't I just have you for Christmas and we'll call it square?" he asked.

She shoved hard against his chest then pulled back and punched him in the jaw. It caught him so off guard that he fell backwards, freeing her.

"Don't you ever touch me again, you disgusting pervert, or I'll hex your bits into a snowdrift!" She turned and stomped away, her boots throwing wet, melted snow at him where he still lay stunned.

As she picked up her purchases, he scrambled to his feet. She dashed off quickly to put some distance between them. He called out after her, "Am I still getting that Christmas gift?"


	11. Death Eater Secret Santa

Day 11 Prompt:

Secret Santa / "Ho, Ho, Ho, motherfucker!" / "What? You thought we'd give each other nice things for Christmas? We're Death Eaters, love."

word count: 825

(sequel to the scene in ch 7, prequel to ch 5)

They Apparated into the parlour but the travel dislodged Thorfinn's mouth from the little witch. Rodolphus heard her quick inhalation of breath as she realised the predicament she was in and he held her more securely to his chest, palming her wand out of her pocket even as he whispered into her ear. "You're fine, little witch, we're not going to hurt you unless you try to hurt us or attempt escape." He enjoyed the way she shivered in his hold as he burrowed his nose into her hair and his breath ghosted over her ear.

"Is this my Secret Santa?" Bast said from the settee where he was lounging, holding a wine glass.

Thorfinn, still no doubt exhilarated from the snowball fight and their kidnapping of the girl, turned and laughed before exclaiming, "Ho, ho, ho, motherfucker!"

Rodolphus stood up straighter and looked over at his brother. "Of course not. It's a toss-up between a date with Argus Filch and a box of entrails from a half-rotted Samhain goat. Your choice."

Bast and Thorfinn cackled and the little witch in Rodolphus's arms shivered. Bast noticed and approached her, letting his fingers trail along her jaw. Her hat had fallen off with the Apparition and he plucked it from where it lay on Rodolphus's arm. "Granger, isn't it?" he asked her, though his eyes met Rodolphus's for confirmation when she didn't do much besides jerk away from him. "What? You thought we'd give each other nice things for Christmas? We're Death Eaters, love." He brushed his thumb against her lips and then her cheek, which made her push back into Rodolphus's arms. "You're a pretty one, aren't you?"

"Stop scaring her, Bast," he said.

Bast gave her another soft caress, all the while looking at her like she was something he wanted to devour. Finally, he swallowed and looked away. "So this is the student you decided to kidnap? Why this one? Surely another would have been easier to snatch. Don't you think Dumbledore will retaliate now that his pet's Mudblood is missing?"

The little witch in his arms still hadn't said anything, it seems they'd scared her speechless. Rodolphus wasn't sure he liked that. "Nothing to say, little witch?"

"Let me go," she whispered. He bent and tipped his head to look at her face; she looked frightened.

"I'm going to get her situated. Wouldn't want her damaged before the Dark Lord knows we have her and succeeded in our mission," he said, he manoeuvred her a moment and without trouble, hoisted her up to lay over his shoulder. Her feet and legs kicked out to try to wiggle out of his grip and Bast reached out and spanked her hard on the arse. She sucked in another quick breath but settled. "I'll be down shortly to return to the Dark Lord with you, Thorfinn."

The other man nodded even as his gaze was focused on the girl's rump. Roldophus turned and headed out of the room and up the stairs. He had intended for their kidnap victim to be kept in the cells in the basement but he changed his mind as soon as they'd arrived. Instead, he took her up to his room. After he shut the door and locked it, he set her on the bed. When he stepped back from her, she looked terrified. She glanced at her surroundings and then returned her gaze to him.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked. He could see her swallowing down her fear and replacing it with calculations and logic and he wondered what other sorts of emotions he would be able to read on her face.

"Nothing. Yet," he told her. "The Dark Lord wanted us to capture a student. Any student. I'm not sure what plans he'll have for you when he finds out that it was you we caught."

At his dark promise, she shivered again and brought her arms forward to wrap around herself. "Can I have my wand back? Please?"

He chuckled. "Of course not, little witch." He glanced around at his room and wondered if mentioning that it was his would stop her from or encourage her to destroy it. He decided he didn't care that much for his belongings and if she wanted to pitch a fit, it would probably exhaust her. "This is my suite. Bast doesn't have access to these rooms. I'll be back later. Make yourself comfortable. I'll have our house-elf bring you some dinner."

He turned and left, locking the door. He wasn't sure why he had told her Bast couldn't disturb her though he figured it had to do with the way Bast had looked at her. Rodolphus didn't like it. He didn't acknowledge to himself that she stirred something in him, something even Bellatrix hadn't stirred in him when she was alive.

There was something about the little witch that made him want to protect her.


	12. Christmas Mourning

Day 12 Prompt:

Mistletoe, holly, and all things jolly / "Happy Christmas, you pack of bastards." / I swear to Merlin, if I unwrap this gift and it's something disgusting, you're dead."

warning: implied miscarriage

word count: 1,518

Bast glanced around at the small gathering of friends. Bella and Roddy were hosting their own little holiday luncheon on the Solstice this year and the guests were instructed to bring a gift suitable for any witch or wizard for some sort of exchange. Bast had decided a bottle of elf-made wine would be suitable and carried that along with him. Bella had pursed her lips when he showed it to her and conjured a box and shiny silver paper to wrap it with. Another tap of her wand had the wine hidden in the box and wrapped up with a slightly lopsided bow on top. "That's better. Will you put it on the gift table, Bast?" she asked. Her eyes were shiny, almost glassy, and Bast wasn't sure if she was drunk or under an Imperius Curse. He found he didn't care enough to know either way. Were he to ask, he'd probably find that he was interrupting some odd kinky game between her and Roddy.

Bast left her in the foyer and spotted a side table that was decorated with mistletoe, holly, and other jolly Christmasy things with other wrapped gifts. He left his boxed bottle of wine near the back as his eyes tracked over the multitude of colourful-shaped packages.

"Bast!" he turned at hearing his name to see Addy leaving Selwyn's arm to greet him with a hug. He wrapped his arms around her in return and felt his brow furrow at the odd press of something against his groin. When they separated, his gaze followed down her body to stop at her stomach. He couldn't tell from her robes but he was almost sure she'd gained weight, specifically there.

"Addy," he greeted her, pressing his face against her temple and hearing her giggle at his facial hair, "Are you—?"

"Not a word," she hissed quietly back. His brows raised but he kept his mouth closed and gave her a nod.

"You didn't have a date to bring, Rabastan?" Piers Selwyn asked as he joined Bast and his sister after their greeting.

"This eternal bachelor?" Roddy asked, stepping up behind Bast and patting him on the back. "Nah, he'd sooner eat his wand, I think."

Bast just grinned and rolled his eyes at his brother. "Not seeing anyone at the moment," he said, then amended, "Well, anyone that qualifies to be at a gathering of this... calibre." He let his eyes look around at the other guests. Narcissa and Lucius were chatting with Georgia and Paul Flint, Rebecca and Jillian Travers were speaking with Evan Rosier and Cordovan Crabbe, and Gianna Montague and Piers' sister, Teresa were watching him from where Addy and Piers had left them to greet him.

"Have you properly met my sister, Rabastan?" Piers asked. "She's a few years younger than you, in Hufflepuff."

"Weren't you all in Hufflepuff?" Bast asked, holding a little contempt in his voice. He did not like Piers and he doubted he would be interested in his sister.

"Well, yes, but..."

"They've met, Piers," Addy told her husband. "They both attended our wedding."

"Oh, that's right," he said, he gave a half-hearted nod at Bast before he returned to his sister and her friend. Bast knew the Montagues, Georgia and Gianna, both were in Slytherin like the rest of the guests.

"Bast," Roddy said, and the hand that had been resting on his shoulder closed over the top and he was steered along the side of the room for a moment of privacy. "Wasn't Regulus supposed to come with you?"

"If he was, it's news to me. Why would you think so?"

"Well, he's your best mate and..."

Bast's eyebrows raised and the smirk that graced his lips might have brassed his brother off more. The last time Roddy had seen he and Regulus it was in an intimate moment between them. Like, Regulus's cock in Bast's mouth sort of intimate. Bast's heart had been thrumming with the anticipation of his brother's disapproval of his extracurricular activities. "And?"

Roddy's eyebrows furrowed and his lips pressed together tightly. "Don't make me speak about it. I just thought that with that sort of... closeness between you that you would know if he were coming to Bella's little party. She's made every effort to find engaging, dinner partners for all of our single friends."

Bast's smirk slipped into a full smile. "You didn't tell her?"

"Of course, I didn't tell her!" he said, speaking a little too loudly and they both glanced around at the other guests. Everyone was too well-mannered to look up at them but if they all shifted their weights towards them and strained their ears to hear, Bast wasn't one to point it out. "Bella and I have... well, we have our own things to deal with. I didn't feel the need to dash her hopes of match-making."

Bella's voice calling out Regulus's name had them both turning to see her greeting her cousin with a little too much enthusiasm. Regulus's eyebrows had raised as she pressed herself tightly against him in a hug that he wasn't expecting. Bast glanced back at his brother with a question in his eyes. For as long as he'd known Bella, she wasn't the hugging type.

With the last guest's arrival, Bella called them all to the midday meal. Bast sat between Rebecca Travers and Gianna Montague and smiled and charmed them both. When the meal was over and Bella directed them back into the parlour for the gift exchange, her demeanour was still off with too many smiles and too much enthusiasm. Bast watched as Narcissa ended up with his gift of wine and Bella was given a small box that looked like it came from Gianna Montague if her wiggling excitement was any clue.

"Wait, there's one here," Piers said, offering another box from his pocket.

Addy and Bella's lips both pursed at Piers but Bella handed the box she had partially unwrapped to Piers and took his box from him. Piers finished the job and found a voucher to Twillfit and Tattings nestled inside. He grinned and showed it off, handing it to Addy with a glance down at her stomach. Bella coughed lightly at his obvious look before she started unwrapping the dark blue matte paper on the gift Piers had handed her.

"I swear to Merlin, if I unwrap this gift and it's something disgusting, you're dead," she said, grinning too brightly. Bast glanced up to Addy to see she'd gone pale and she was starting to shake her head back and forth. Roddy looked up in time to see the motion but not before Bella finished unwrapping the small box to find a pair of wool baby booties in a delicate light blue and a rattle. Bella choked on a gasped and her lips quivered before she stood, "Please excuse me," she muttered, letting the box and baby items fall from her stiff fingers and rushing out of the room.

Roddy stood, unsure if he should go after his wife or if he should continue playing the host. Being a good husband won out and he muttered harshly, "Happy Christmas, you pack of bastards," before he followed his distraught wife out of the room.

Narcissa stood and immediately took control as if she were the hostess, directing everyone back to the dining room for pudding and brandy.

Bast lingered towards the back of the room as the other guests followed her lead and watched as Regulus glanced in the direction Bella and Roddy had gone but decided against the intrusion. Addy and Piers were the last two in the room when Addy turned on her husband with anger in her eyes and her wand in her hand. "I told you to keep that gift aside once I found out. You horrible person! Why would you—" She shrieked as quietly as she could and clenched her wand tighter which caused bright gold sparks to shoot from the tip.

"I didn't—"

"You have a bad habit of giving inappropriate gifts, Selwyn. Maybe you should just stop attending these sorts of events," Bast said, quiet and calm as he stepped beside his sister. "I don't think any of us would notice your absence, much less miss you. I'd give your respects to our hosts if I didn't think they'd hex me as a messenger. Leave."

Piers' eyes darkened as his expression soured and he looked like he wanted to say something to his wife before he glanced back at Bast. "Fine, I'll see you at home," he told Addy before Disapparating.

"I wish you wouldn't," she muttered. She leaned against Bast and closed her eyes. She's my best friend and I had no idea."

"Why don't you leave him, Adelaide?"

"I can't, Bast, you know I can't." Her hand went down to her own belly. "Mother and Father would never..."

He nodded. "Come on, let's go pretend everything's all right for all the non-family guests."

She gave him a slight one-armed hug before standing back up and tidying her skirt. "Yes, I suppose we must."


End file.
